View Vacancy – Head of Finance and Resourcing, DBT South Asia, Grade- SEO, New Delhi/Mumbai/Bengaluru

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.

Job Category

Department for Business and Trade roles (DBT)

Job Subcategory

Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment, educational details, behavioural and technical/ professional skills questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only with all the required details and the shortlisting is not basis CV/ cover letter. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.

Main purpose of job:

DBT South Asia region is seeking a highly skilled and motivated individual for the role of Head of Finance and Resources. The Chief Operating Officer’s team, in which this role will sit, plays a critical enabling role in ensuring that DBT has the strategy, capability and capacity to deliver our ambitions in the region. In this strategic leadership role, you will be responsible for providing financial leadership, ensuring effective resource management, and driving financial sustainability across our operations. You will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and senior leadership team to develop and implement financial strategies that support delivery.

You will need to set the direction of your work (and that of an EO in your team) and drive delivery. A large part of this will be virtual as DBT South Asia teams are based across twelve cities in four countries – India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. You will need excellent matrix-management and collaborative working skills to leverage the support of colleagues across the region and be able to represent the region with credibility as a key interlocutor with HQ colleagues, frequently at senior levels. The post will be based in New Delhi/ Mumbai/ Bangalore but will require periodic travel across the network, including for outreach work supporting DBT teams across the network to better understand finance and resourcing matters, meet colleagues in person and liaise with FCDO partners out at post. You will report to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) based in Mumbai and play a leadership support role for the COO team based across New Delhi & Mumbai, including covering for absences of the COO.

We reserve the right to review, revise or amend the roles and responsibilities from time to time reflecting the changing needs of business.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

Financial and resource monitoring (30%)

• Effective day-to-day leadership of DBT South Asia’s c. £4.5m budget, monitoring and reviewing activity, and implementing safeguards to mitigate fraud and fiduciary risk.
• Coordinate, consolidate, evaluate and analyse DBT South Asia budget strands vs actuals on a monthly basis, leading to a final spend within +- 2% by the end of the financial year.
• Prepare accurate monthly finance and budget forensics reports to the DBT Senior Leadership Team, providing clear advice to support effective budget management decisions.

Financial leadership and provision of expertise (25%)

• Provide clear guidance to colleagues across the South Asia network on policies and procedures around financial matters, engaging with teams to drive compliance.
• Provide clear and sound advice, based on robust financial planning and budget management, to COO, HMTC and SLT on how best to maximise effectiveness from the budget.
• Provide guidance and support to colleagues in developing compelling funding proposals and budgets across marketing and communications work, research and programme bids, travel and internal and external events. This will involve supporting and leading discussion withs external suppliers on complex matters such as payment terms and conditions, ensuring HMG procurement rules are upheld.
• Support with resource planning/business planning exercises, being the clear source of advice for making the best use out of available budget and FTE headcount restraints.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with the Corporate Services Counsellor and team in New Delhi and corporate teams across the network to align processes and approaches. Provide challenge where policies and processes do not deliver for DBT in the region.

Process management and improvement (20%)

• Develop and oversee financial management processes to ensure accurate financial reporting, compliance, and risk mitigation. Provide timely and accurate strategic financial advice to the regional Senior Leadership Team and HQ finance leads.
• Conduct financial analysis, cost-benefit assessments, and risk assessments to inform decision-making and resource allocation. Present robust evidence-based financial decisions to the Senior Leadership Team for endorsement.

Lead relationship with Overseas Finance Business Partners (15%)

• Build and maintain strong relationships with HQ finance team and other stakeholders to secure funding for current and future activity, and with HQ’s Intelligent Client Function team to support strong performance reporting against the One HMG framework and MoU.
• Lead monthly finance calls with HQ to apprise on the budget position, plans, risks and opportunities. Present a credible face for DBT South Asia and provide reassurance of sound financial management.

Corporate (10%)

• Play a strong corporate role across the wider HMG network in India, utilising skills and experience to support delivery of core pieces of work; marker hotel review exercise; pay review and PRP discussions.
• Collaborate with finance leads and Chief Operating Officers across HM Trade Commissioner regions to share best practice, taking a collegiate approach that drives improvements for all regions.
• Stand in for COO during absences as the main point person for the team, including with x-HMG and external stakeholders – be confident handling a broad range of queries, exercising sound judgement even when information is unclear or unknown.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• Management of 1 EO
• Oversight of £4.5m DBT budget
• Responsibility for running and monitoring Chief Operating Officer team budget

Learning and development opportunities:

DBT offers need based L&D opportunities for staff to undertake training programmes

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• A master”s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field; professional certifications and/or at least 7 years relevant experience in financial management, preferably in the government sector.
• Proven track record of successfully managing budgets, grants, and financial operations of a large organisation.
• Strong knowledge of financial reporting standards, risk management, and compliance practices.
• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership abilities with the capacity to build and motivate high-performing teams, and matrix-manage colleagues across a range of grades, roles and locations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Excellent team player with flexible and adaptable approach to work
• Proven record in successfully leading a team.

Language Requirements:

• Language: English
• Level of Language Required: Expert

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Strong working knowledge of the UK in South Asia’s corporate functions, policies and processes, or an ability to quickly get up to speed.

Experience working with and across government departments on the One HMG platform.

Required behaviours

Changing and Improving, Leadership, Managing a Quality Service, Seeing the Big Picture

Application deadline

8 June 2026

Grade

Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

Type of Position

Full-time, Permanent

Working hours per week

40

Region

South Asia & Afghanistan

Country/Territory

India

Location (City)

Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi

Type of Post

British High Commission

Number of vacancies

1

Salary Currency

INR

Salary

INR 178,720 per month plus 12% Provident Fund and 6% Superannuation

Type of Salary

monthly

Start Date

8 August 2026

Other benefits and conditions of employment

For British High Commission candidates, the Country Based Staff BHC Terms & Conditions will apply.

For other than BHC Candidates, salary will be all-inclusive of INR 178,720 per month plus 12% Provident Fund and 6% Superannuation.

Additionally, the BHC offers a great benefits package that includes annual domiciliary medical cover, plus a Group Hospitalisation Scheme with INR 500,000 floater cover for your immediate family which includes self, spouse/partner and children up to an age of 23 years and irrespective of age, only if with, physical or mental disability.

No relocation or any other related costs or assistance will be provided. FCDO does not pay for any travelling, accommodation & relocation expenses incurred and/or accept any financial risk, including cancellation or reschedule costs

Please note – BHC does not deduct tax at source and employees are required to ensure that any requirements of local income-tax law are complied with in full. Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, e.g., some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.

FCDO operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require. The BHC is recognised as a good employer, with a robust, fair and transparent performance management & appraisal system linked to increments and staff bonuses. We have a 5-day working week, plus annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave provision, special leave, paid sick leave provision; ample development opportunities, travel opportunities, a good organisational culture, and excellent work/life balance.

Around half of our work forces are women. We treat people with respect and equality and have a policy of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment.

This is a good opportunity to be part of a strong, diverse team, working in the biggest network that FCDO has anywhere across the globe. We are aiming to make it the best.

Additional information

Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment, educational details, behavioural and technical/ professional skills questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only with all the required details and the shortlisting is not basis CV/ cover letter. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage

Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders will need have, or be able to obtain, a valid special work permit issued from Government of India (GOI) to work in the British High Commission (BHC). BHC will not be able to sponsor work visas or obtain/ assist with the special work permit from GOI. Offers of employment made to OCI card holders will be conditional upon candidates obtaining a special work permit.

Note: For requisite special permission to take up employment in any foreign Diplomatic Missions in India, OCI Cardholder must visit https://ociservices.gov.in

Please note – successful applicants will be offered employment on Country Based Staff (CBS) terms and conditions. This is not a permanent UK Civil Service position and does not attract diplomatic immunities and privileges (other than what an individual may already hold if they are a recognised partner/family member of a serving diplomat).

To Apply:
Please note applications without (a) and (b) will not be considered.

a) Complete the Online Application Form
b) Complete the Experience, Professional Skills and Behaviour based Segments in the Online Application Form

Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.

To ensure a successful application it is important that you explain how you demonstrate behaviours and technical / professional skills, basis your experience. You are strongly advised to read the Success Profiles Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which provides a detailed guidance on how these behaviours are defined for each position.

Applicants are encouraged to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique to prepare specific examples of when and how you have demonstrated these behaviours in your application, by evidencing a structured response, including your skills and experiences. You briefly describe the situation in which you demonstrated the behaviour, and then explain your task in addressing the situation, what action you took and the result of this.

Internal staff applying for this position must have prior approval from their current line manager and should not be on an active formal written warning, else the application will not be considered.

We will accept only online applications by 08 June 2026 (latest by 23:55 hours IST).

Please note that all the applicants will be required to strictly adhere to the security guidelines for British High Commission.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.

Please note – “Provident Fund Transfer in and out from EPFO is not possible as BHC PF is managed by a private PF trust governed by Indian Income Tax Act, 1961. The staff still has the option to transfer out and in from a privately held PF trust which are not governed by EPFO. Any tax deduction on EPF will be in compliance with local income-tax law and must be complied with in full.”

Applicants who do not have the required qualification & experience should kindly abstain from applying, as their applications will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and no telephone enquires will be dealt with. Basis the scores, the candidate/s who did not score as highly as the successful candidate, might be placed on the reserve list. If during the reserve period of 12 months, the same or largely similar role becomes available, the role may be offered to the second or subsequent appointable candidates.

” The start date mentioned in the job advert is tentative and the appointment will be subject to successful clearances including police verification, references, medical, educational, and professional checks. “

We welcome all applications irrespective of age, race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, caste, or creed. We are also open to applications from people who want to work flexibly.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.